Justin Bieber has apologized for joking about his wife being pregnant on April Fools’ Day.
The singer’s prank on social media drew criticism from some who felt it was insensitive to those dealing with fertility issues.
Bieber apologized Tuesday on his Instagram account, writing in the caption, “There’s always gonna be people offended, there’s also people who don’t take jokes very well, I am a prankster and it was APRIL FOOLS.
“I didn’t at all mean to be insensitive to people who can’t have children,” Bieber said. “A lot of people I know, their first go to prank on April fools is telling their parents they are pregnant to get a big reaction. But I will apologize anyway and take responsibility and say sorry to people who were offended.”
On Monday, the singer posted a sonogram photo with no caption on his Instagram account.
Bieber, 25, married model Hailey Baldwin, 22, last year, so some of his followers took the posting to mean the couple were expecting.
Others were more skeptical, and Bieber followed that one up with a series of photos of his wife in which she appeared to be in a doctor’s office, being attended to as she had her hands on her stomach.
The caption on the photo said, “If U thought it was April fools.”
But wait, Bieber then posted a picture showing a puppy photo Photoshopped into the sonogram and wrote, “Wait omg is that a,,, APRIL FOOLS.”
Some observers pointed out that joking about a pregnancy is no laughing matter to those struggling with fertility issues.
“Justin Bieber joking about (his wife) being pregnant is soooooo insensitive considering there’s so many women out there that cannot get pregnant or have lost children,” one person tweeted.
The “Baby” singer has spoken before of his desire to become a dad.
Last month, he explained in a lengthy Instagram post how he was stepping away from music for a bit to focus on his mental health.
“I have been looking, seeking, trial and error as most of us do, I am now very focused on repairing some of the deep rooted issues that I have as most of us have, so that I don’t fall apart, so that I can sustain my marriage and be the father I want to be,” he wrote.
In his apology Tuesday, Bieber expressed his remorse.
“I truly don’t want anyone to be hurt by a prank.. it’s like when I shoved cake in my little sisters face for her birthday expecting her to laugh but she cried,” he wrote. “You sometimes just don’t know what will hurt someone’s feelings not to compare pregnancy with cake in the face but it’s just to paint the picture of not knowing what will offend.”
